It was a dark and stormy night… that’s the best way I can describe the match between the New York Knights and the Boston Blitz… as a storm was brewing on every board. There were no easy draws… no careful Leko-like play… no… every board seemed set on fire. I became so absorbed in watching the games that I found I couldn’t get out of my seat… I chewed my nails and bit my coffee cup so hard that I spilled much of it over my shirt. Well, that woke me up and I filed off to the bathroom shaking my head. What was I worried about?… take a look…

On first board, former wunderkind (now a veteran at age 20) GM Hikaru Nakamura, the league’s highest rated player at 2742, was playing Boston’s highest rated GM Larry Christiansen in a battle of tactical titans with both players known for their creative styles.

This game was the highest rated match-up in league history. For that matter, so was the match.

In the diagram, Hikaru had some pressure and was threatening the a-pawn and, more importantly, a check winning the exchange when Larry very quickly played the beautiful 20…e3!!

position after 20…e3!!

What’s the point? Sure Black gets the c-pawn and maybe the f-pawn… well, I still was a bit worried knowing the tactical skill of Hikaru. I should have had more faith in our own wizard.

After 22.Nd6+ Rxd6 23.Rxd6… they quickly reached this dynamic, puzzle-like position… so, let’s ask…

position after 23.Rxd6

What’s the best move?

Nothing so simple as 22…exf2 or 22…Nxc2, both of which give White a large advantage… rather, the spectacular and immediately obvious (to Larry) 22. Nxa2+!!  Of course, now it is Black who has the edge after 23.Nxa2 Rxc2+ 24. Kd1 (only move as the discovered check is too costly) 24…Rxb2.

Now, Hikaru must give the knight back as 25. Nc3 is inferior due to 25…exf2 26.Rh1 Bh6 27.Kc1 Bg2 and Black will end up with rook and four pawns vs. rook and knight when all is said and done.

Hikaru very quickly decided to give back the Knight with 25.Rxe3 Rxa2 and after some tricky endgame play, Black had rook, bishop and 3 pawns against White’s two rooks and pawn with neither side able to make progress.

Great combinative play and a much need draw. Boston (1.5 – 0.5)

Larry’s was the second game to finish as Chris (super 4th) Williams had given everyone draw odds with another fine yet stormy game as shown in my favorite position…

position after 25…f4?

Black, WFM Elizabeth Vicary, has just played the poor 25…f4? She had some pressure with the pawn on f5 threatening bxc4 and piling up on the c-pawn combined with a build up on the kingside. But, after this, Chris quickly took over the game with 26.cxb5 axb5 27.Ne1! threatening to drive Black back, which he did very nicely after 27…Ng6 28.Nd3 Qc7 and White took control from there. Giving Boston a nice 1-0 cushion… and, of course, letting Larry’s draw put Boston in a good match position.

If it weren’t for Boston’s nemesis… GM Pascal Charbonneau…

This was a long, hard fought game. I won’t bore you with details. Boston’s second board, GM Eugene Perelshteyn, sacked a piece to reach this endgame. It is probably possible to draw this. But, according to Eugene “practically it’s just too tough.” Beginning with my favorite position… and one in which I held some hope for a draw and a Boston win…

position after 56…Ke3

Black has three pieces against two. Studies show that most rook + knight vs rook endings are a draw and about 40% of rook + bishop vs rook are computer analyzed wins, some in over 50 moves, but realistically a draw in human games… But what about rook + knight + bishop against rook + bishop? Not much computer help here. Are certain positions drawable?

After fine technique, Eugene’s opponent, GM Charbonneau reached the final position below.

final position – White resigns

This was the last game to finish and I’m sure it was a hard loss for Eugene. This gave New York the match draw. Boston 2 – New York 2.

Oh, I am bouncing back and fourth and taking things out of order here… and I did fail to mention a most important, pawn down, draw by our defensive genius and Boston third board, Denys Shmelov. In Denys’s own words “ I was crushed.”

He played Black against veteran, and the world’s most experienced chess player, Jay Bonin. Jay, I’m told, plays on average at least one rated game per day… yet, Denys kept grinding and finally tricked him into the perpetual shown in the diagram.

My favorite position…

final position – draw by perpetual

White must play Kh7… after which Black checks and repeats. Nice save Denys.

This game had team members gesturing with elation in wild silence (Eugene was still playing) since it assured at least a draw on this dark and stormy night…